Corn-planter



2 Sheets-Sheet V 1 (No Model.)

M. A. WESTBROOK.

001m 'PLANTER.

Patented Mar. 5; 1889.

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MOSES A LEN \YllSiiBROOK, OF CARTHAGE, MISSISFU'PPI.

CORN-=PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,102, dated March 5, 1889.

To all whom it may con/emu;

Be it known that I, Mosns ALEX \VEST- BROOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at tarthag'c, in the county oi .llcake and State of His.

' ing N.

sippi, have invented a new and useful lmproveunuit in Corn-Planters, of

which the following is a spociihva-tion.

' Slide.

My invention relates to an improvement in corn-planters; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, that I will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

in the drawings, Figure 1 a perspective 0 represents a longitudinal open, slot which. communicates with the front end of the open- Arrang'ed in the front end of the opening N, and adapt-ed to slide back and forth in the same, is a block, 1, which is supported on a plate, R, that is under the seed- A screw, works in the slot 0 and engages the said. plate, and thereby secures the latter to the under side oi? the seed-slide and maintains the block I in the ope-nine N. By moving; said plate backward or forward the block. P may be moved backward or forward view of a corn-planteremhodying'my improve- I ment. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sec- 1. ional View oi the same. vation of the same. l ig'. i a detail perspective view of a seed-slide, SllUWlllg the adjustable ')latclhoreon. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the spring )l.

A represents a beam, which is similar to a I 1 to the rock-shaft l. and depends therefrom.

plow-boa 1n B represents the forwardly-incliued standopening in the front end of the seed-slide, and

ard, which depends from the rear end of the Fig. 3 is a rear elc in the slot- N, so as to increase or decrease the size of the latter to any desired extent, and, consequently regulate the number of grains of corn which are planted in each hill.

T represents a pair of inclined arms or brackets, which project from the front side of the board E, and in the upper ends of said arms or brackets is journalcd a rock-sl1aft,U.

beam, and 0 represents a pair of handles,

which are similar to plo\vhandles, and have their lower ends bolted to opposite sides of the beam. A rung, D, connects the said plowl handles near their upper ends, and serves to maintain them at the required distance apart.

E represents an inclined board, which is 1 arranged on the front side of the handle, and is secured thereto bymcans of bolts or screws F. Said board forms one side of a seed-hopper, G, and is provided with a vertical open- 3 ing, H, which constitutes the discharge-open ing" of the hopper. From the under side of Q which made of rubber, leather, or other the board. projects a depending; spout, I, the

upper end of which registers with the openupper side of the seed-slide, the function of ings H.

K represents a seed slide, which is supported in a horizontal position by a guide-plate, L, i

which is screwed or bolted to the front side of board E, near the lower end thereof. The 5 V represents a rock-arm, which is secured The lower end of this rock-arm engages an suitable flexible material, and bears upon. the

this rubber or brush being to remove superfluous seeds from the seed cup or opening N.

7- represents a seed-spout, which forms a lower extension of the spout Leonnnunicates with the latter, and is secured on the rear side 9 of the standard and on the rear end of the beam. To the lower end of the standard, on

the front side thereof, is secured a furrowopening' plow, A, of suit-able size and shape, and to opposite sides of the standard, near the upper end thereof, are pivoted the upper ends of a pair of coverers, B. The said coverers are provided at their lower ends with enlarged shovels C, which may be concaveeonveX and are inclined obliquely, so that their rear edges a )pi.-oaeh each other.

D represents apair of springs, which have their central portions coiled on -the pivotal bolts E of the eoverers. The upper arms of the said springs bear against the rear sides of the plow-handles, and the lower arms thereof bear against the rear edges of the coverer, said springs thereby exerting a forward pressure on the said. eoverers,as will be readily understood.

To one side of the plow-beam and projeeting from the same is secured a shaft, F, on which is journaled the hub of a walking wheel, G, the spokes or radial arms of said, walking-wheel being pointed at their outer ends. The hub of the walking-wheel is pro vided near its inner end with a series of radial tappet-arms, H.

1 represents a combined fender and bracebar, which has its front end secured to the front end of the plow-beam by a bolt, K and has its rear end secured on the outer end of the shaft F.

L represents an operating-arm, which is 1 secured to the roclcshaft U and has its lower end extending nearly to the inner end of. the hub and arranged in the path of the tappetarms II.

M represents a spring, which is coiled on one end of the rock-shaft, has one end secured to the said rock-shaft, and has its opposite end secured to one of the brackets or arms T. The function of this spring is to exert torsional strain on the rock-shaft, so as to cause the latter to normally move the seed-slide rearward, so that the opening N in the seed-slide will not register with the discl'iargeopening M of the hopper.

The operation of my invention will be very readily understood. As the machine is drawn forward, the walkii g wheel by engaging with the ground is caused to rotate and the tappetarms ll thereof engage the arm L in succes- 1 sion and partly rotate the rock-shaft, so as to move the seed-slide forward and cause its opening N to register with the opening M and thereby drop the seeds through the spouts I i and Z into the furrow made by the plow A. i

As each tappet-arm in succession moves past the arm L, the spring M on the rock-shaft returns the latter to the initial position before described, so as to cause the seed-slide to again out off the opening N. The rocking motion of the arm V imparts reciprocating motion to the rod and causes the latter to stir and agitate the seed in the lower portion of the hopper, so as to prevent the same from lodging therein. The springs which engage the coverers B and press the latter forward serve to keep the said coverers normally in engagement with the soil on opposite sides of the furrow, so as to cause said coverers to throw the earth into the furrow and thereby cover the seeds; but in the event that either of the coverers should strike against a stone, stump, or other obstruction the spring enables the coverer to turn rearward on its pivot, so as to ride over the obstructions without being injured thereby.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combinationgvith a plow, of the hopper having the inclined rear side board, E, detachably secured to the plow -handles, the seed-slide arranged in the bottom of the hopper, the rock-shaft journaled in supports projecting from the hopper and having the arm V engaging the seed-slide, the operating-arm L, and the driving-wheel journaled on one side of the plow-beam and having the tappetarms H engaging the arm L, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a plow, of the hopper having the inclined rear side board, E, detachably secured to the plow-handles, and having the opening H, the spout I, depending from said board and fitted between the handles, the reciprocating seed-slide in the lower portion of the hopper and projecting forward through an. opening in the board E, the rockshaft journaled in supports on the hopper and having the arm engaging the seed-slide, and means, substantially as set forth, to oscillate s'aid rock-shaft.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MOSES ALEN lVESTBROOK. lVitnesses:

W. H. HUMPHRIES, D. A. GRAHAM. 

